Noted "Bear" Wrestler Eagles Lane Johnson Has High Praise For Defensive Tackle

The right tackle has wrestled plenty of bears during his 11 years in the NFL and is now tangling with a relatively new one.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA – Lane Johnson told a very tall tale in just days after the Eagles drafted him fourth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. He talked about how he grew up wrestling bears – not the Chicago variety, but actual bears – on his uncle’s ranch in east Texas.

He maintained that the bouts improved his blocking technique. Philly media ate it up. Until he revealed a day or so later that he was just messing around.

Since then, Johnson has gone to wrestle some other beasts, such as Trent Cole, late in Cole’s Eagles career, Connor Barwin, Vinny Curry, Fletcher Cox, Chris Long, Haason Reddick, and still to this day, Brandon Graham. And those were just his teammates.

There have been some other bears during his 11 years and counting in the league, players on other teams such as the Bosa brothers, Brian Burns, Khalil Mack, and Micah Parsons to name just a few.

Johnson has more than held his own against any bear and every bear he has come across, to the point where he could be carving out a very under-the-radar Hall of Fame resume.

So who has impressed him most recently?

Try Jordan Davis. It’s not often Johnson and the Eagles’ 24-year-old defensive tackle line up against each other, and Johnson is fortunate.

Eagles NT Jordan Davis / John McMullen/SI Eagles

“Jordan Davis, man tough guy to move,” he said during a recent episode of ‘The Ryen Russillo Podcast.’ “As long as he’s the d-tackle, I’ll be fine. If he’s running from 10 yards out, the 4.7 whatever he ran at the (NFL Scouting) Combine would be hard to stop.”

That is good news for Eagls fans as they look toward Year 3 for the 6-6, 340-pound defensive tackle. Davis is being counted on heavily to take another leap in his progress since being drafted 13th overall in 2022, and also to lead a young DT group that must find a way to adjust without Cox, who retired in the ofsfseason.

Johnson also singled out Long and Reddick for helping him adjust to different styles of pass rushing.

“I remember going against Chris earlier in my career, or about to go against him, I think he was injured but I remember watching tape of him just annihilating guys,” said Johnson. “And obviously Haason made me a lot better. Every rusher has a different style so his lateral quickness is unique and for me, helped me a lot the past two years.”

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